Stardom in college has never guaranteed success in the NFL, even for the cream of the collegiate crop. Yet all 14 players in the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014 announced Thursday went on to play in the NFL, even if just briefly.

Two of them have now pulled off the immortality double – Derrick Thomas and Willie Roaf are also members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with LaDainian Tomlinson joining them the moment he’s eligible. Four have Super Bowl rings, while three more played in the Super Bowl but lost.

— Derrick Thomas (LB, Alabama, 1985-88) – For sheer impact on the game during his tragically-short career, Thomas gets the edge. He duplicated his insane college sack numbers in the NFL.

— LaDainian Tomlinson (TB, Texas Christian, 1997-2000) – The best back in the NFL in his prime. His 31 touchdowns in 2006, when he won the MVP, may never be topped, at least not with the sport phasing out running backs.

— Willie Roaf (OL, Louisiana Tech, 1990-92) – Enshrined in Canton in 2006, after 13 years of domination at left tackle for the Saints and Chiefs. Roaf was an 11-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1990s all-decade team.

— Sterling Sharpe (WR, South Carolina, 1983, 1985-87) – He was on a path to the pro football hall before his career-ending neck injury in 1994. He also missed out on the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl title.

— Dave Butz (DT, Purdue, 1970-72) – A mountain of a man in his day (6-foot-7, 295 pounds), he anchored the Redskins’ defensive line for more than a decade and won two Super Bowls during the Joe Gibbs era.

— Shane Conlan (LB, Penn State, 1983-86) – The defensive rookie of the year with the Bills was in the middle of the defense for their first three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

— Tony Boselli (OT, Southern California, 1991-94) – The first pick ever for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had gone to five straight Pro Bowls by age 29. Shoulder injuries forced him into retirement after just seven seasons.

— Darrin Nelson (HB, Stanford, 1977-78, 1980-81) – In 1983 and ’84 he gained more than 3,300 combined all-purpose yards for the Vikings — and in ’85 and ’86, when his role in the offense grew, he combined for nearly 2,600 yards from scrimmage.

— Dre Bly (DB, North Carolina, 1996-98) – Walked right in on the Rams defense that accompanied The Greatest Show on Turf, won the Super Bowl as a rookie in ’99, played in another in ’01, then went to a pair of Pro Bowls as a Lion.

— Leonard Smith (CB, McNeese State, 1979-82) – Moved to safety and was a solid player for more than five years on some decent-to-bad Cardinals teams in St. Louis and Arizona. Then he landed in Buffalo and got to two Super Bowls.

— Wesley Walls (TE, Mississippi, 1985-88) – Part-timer stuck behind Brent Jones as a 49er and riddled with injuries (although he earned a ring), he later blossomed with the Panthers, making five Pro Bowls in a six-year span.

— John Huard (LB, Maine, 1964-66) – Started for three seasons with the Broncos just before the merger became official. Later played three seasons in the CFL, then became a coach in Canada, the USFL and college.

— John Sciarra (QB, UCLA, 1972-75) – After two years as a quarterback in the CFL, he joined the Eagles in 1978 as a punt returner and safety, for his ex-college coach Dick Vermeil. He led the NFL in punt-return average in ‘79 and played in the Super Bowl in ‘80.

— Joe Hamilton (QB, Georgia Tech, 1996-99) – Got a Super Bowl ring with the 2002 Buccaneers – which recuperating from a torn ACL suffered that summer in NFL Europe. Later was a starter for three years in Arena ball.